Can-opener.



B. 0. GIBSON.

CAN OPENER.

APPLICATION TILED mums, 1911.

Patented Sept. 26, 1911.

BEL'A O. GIBSON, OF SPOKANE, WASHINGTON.

CAN-OPENER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 23, 1911.

Patented Sept. 26, 1911.

Serial No. 616,494.

I To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BELA O. GIBsoN, citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Spokane, in the county of Spokane and State oflVashington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCan-Openers, of which the-following is a specification.

This invention pertains to can-openers,

and has for-its object to provide a device'of the character mentionedthat will automatically adjust the knife to a position on the cover ofthe can adjacent to the rim thereof and maintainthe same at a uniformdistance from the rim whether the pivoted point of the shank carryingthe knife is at thercenter of the-top of the can or not..

' companying drawings, in which,

Flgure 1, is an elevation of the device,

complete, Fig. 2, is a side elevation of the end of the' shank carryingthe hub and perforatingpoint, Fig. 3, is a bottom view of the Same-,andQFig. 4 is a sectional view 3f the combined'di'sk-knife, hub andshouler. i

No special construction is claimed for the handle 10 no for the upperend of the shank 11, provided however, the shank at that end should becylindrical. The shank 11 has slidably adjusted thereto a combineddisk-knife 12, a hub 13 and a shoulder 14. The periphery of the circulardisk-knife 12 constitutes the cutting edge, the hub 13 is adapted forrotation over the top outer edge of the can being opened and theshoulder 14 to bear against the upper outcr edge of the can to act as asustaining means to hold the mechanism in such a uniform po-' sition inrelation to the top of the can, that the cutting edge of the-disk 12will at all times be a uniform distancefrom the outer edge thereof. Thecombined parts 12, 13 and 11 are slidably adjusted to the shank 11 sothat the same may assume a position thereon nearer the handle portion 10as shown by the dotted lines 15 or a position nearer the other end ofthe. shank. This feature is to permit of the adjustment of the mechanismto different sized cans, also permitting the automatic adjustment of thedisk-knife and connecting parts to a uniform position, as relates to theupper outer edge of the can, in their rotation thereon, whether thepivoted bearing of the shank is at the center of the can or not. Anelongated perforating point 16 is provided at the lower end of the shank11, extending outward therefrom and substantially horizontal therewithbut on a lower plane, and connected with the end of the shank by a hub17. The shank 11, hub 17 and point 16 are integral, the end of the shankbeing beveled as at 18. The lower end of the shank 11 is knife 12 aproper angle in opening cans.

having a top of small diameter and prevent the same from bein forcedfromits desired uniform rotation in its relation to the top outer edge ofthe can. This deflection of the shank between thejhub and the cutterresults in angul'arly displacing the cutter with reference to a radialline from the hub-center, and in giving it a proper angle in openingcans of small diameter.

In the practical application of the device in opening cans, the point 16is forced through the top of the can as near the center thereof as maybe reasonably calculated, the shank 11 brought to a nearly horizontalposition, the hub 13 adjusted to the outer edge of the can'and thedisk-knife 12 thrust through'the'top thereof, a circular motion of thehandle 10 with a little downward pressure thereof carries the disk-knife12 around the inner surface of the outer edge of the can, severing thetop therefrom. matters not as to whether the top of the can isperforated by the point 16 at its exact center, as the slidability ofthe adjustment, of the disk-knife 12 and integral parts upon the shank11 will maintain the uniformity of the cutting edge in its relation tothe top,

edge of the can. The oblong point 16 :r

useful in maintaining the rigidity of the top of the can whilebeing'severed fIOmthQi.

can as the same binds against the under{". surface thereof as the dsk-knife portion is being forced around the outer edge thereof. Thebeveled end 18 of the shank 1? provides surface thereof.

Having thus described my invention What the end of the shank adjacent tothe elon- 10 I claim as new and useful and desire to segated point beingbeveled on its under side cure by Letters Patent is, and horizontallydeflected. 1

In a can opener provided with a shank In testimony whereof I atfiX my'signa- 5 having a knife adjusted thereto and a hanture in presence oftwo Witnesses.

dle at one end thereof, an elongated point BELA O. GIBSON. at the endopposite the handle, substantially /Vitnesses: horizontal with the shankbut on a lower WILLIAM H. KA E,

plane and connected therewith by a hub, A. L. GIBSON.

